Taking A Fall
by chibijem
Summary: Takamichi falls in the archives and who is there to save him?


Taking A Fall

By

Chibijem

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein and am making no financial gain from this work of fiction.

Tachibana no Tomomasa entered the Imperial archives and greeted several of the workers. "Is Takamichi-dono still here?"

"Hai, Tachibana Shosho-dono." One of the assistants replied, bowing. "He's back in the older stacks. A request came in late yesterday after he had left for the day."

"Arigatou," the general said, making his way towards the very back of the archives. He hummed as he walked, thinking how he could convince his Byakko partner to join him for a midday meal. Takamichi usually ate while working but the general had been trying to teach the young vice minister to enjoy life more and relax, that there was more to life than work. He passed the last shelf and saw Takamichi balancing precariously on a ladder, reaching for a tome. "Takamichi-dono." Tomomasa called out just loud enough to be heard, not wanting to startle him.

The green haired Hachiyo turned and smiled, looking down at Tomomasa as he approached. "What brings you here?"

"I thought we could share a meal." The eldest of the Hachiyo replied, looking up into gold eyes. "Ano, why don't you come down? You're making me nervous."

Takamichi laughed. "The Great Tachibana no Tomomasa Shosho-dono is afraid?"

"I didn't say that. I said I was nervous." The general replied, watching as Takamichi put one scroll back for another and opened it. "Can you not read that down here?"

"I can, but if this is not the one I'm looking for, I would have to climb back up here. I'd rather find the scroll I need before coming down." He placed it back and reached for another. "It's taken me all morning to find the right section."

"If you've found it, you can come back to it later. Why don't you come down and I'll take you to eat."

"Just give me a minute to find the right text. There are only a couple more to look at." He was down to the last one when he let out a satisfied sound and started down. He was halfway to the bottom when his foot slipped on a bad rung and he let out a surprised cry.

Tomomasa, who had been watching Takamichi's descent, was horrified and placed himself beneath the vice minister's tumbling body to break his fall. "Takamichi!"

The two men crashed to the floor, the vice minister laying on the general, stunned. As soon as he was able, he rolled off his companion, "Tomomasa-dono?" Daijoubu desu ka?"

In reply, Tomomasa raised a hand to the back of his head and rubbed it. "Itai….." He lay on the floor looking at Takamichi from one open, teal colored eye. "Are you alright?" He countered.

"I think so, now answer my question." The younger of the two demanded.

"To quote you: I think so." Tomomasa replied, taking Takamichi's offered hand to sit up. When he did the world tilted. "Or maybe not." He revised, closing his eyes and swaying just a bit.

"Tomomasa!" Takamichi caught his friend's shoulders in his hands dropping the scrolls he still held. He carefully ran one hand over the back of the general's head and felt a lump underneath the thick hair. "You hit your head, there's some swelling. Stay right here." He ordered and carefully got to his feet and walking to the end of the stacks, called out for one of his assistants. He returned to the general who was still sitting in the same place and knelt in front of him. "I've asked them to bring some ice and to fetch us a meal."

"Gomen ne, Takamichi." Tomomasa looked contrite. "This is not what I had in mind for a relaxing afternoon."

"What possessed you to break my fall in the first place?"

"You think I would stand idly by and allow you to be hurt?"

"And you think I like it when you do get hurt?!" Takamichi's eyes, turned molten with his temper. He sighed and sat back. "This is not getting us anywhere; we both dislike the other getting injured." His subordinate came up to them carrying a tray with the requested ice and meals for both of them. The vice minister thanked him and waved him off. He took some ice, wrapped it in a cloth and placed it on the bump on Tomomasa's head. "Gomen ne," he said softly when the general winced. "Would you like me to send for a healer?"

"For this? I've had far worse. Don't worry yourself over it." He watched as his green haired partner set out their meal and lifted an eyebrow when Takamichi lifted a bite to his lips. "I'm not an invalid."

"I know, but you should hold the ice. You can't do that and eat at the same time." Takamichi smiled gently when Tomomasa gave in and let himself be fed. "And I do worry."

Tomomasa swallowed the bite, "I know you do….too much at times," he sighed. "You are far too young to be consumed with worrying over every little thing."

"I don't think you hitting your head saving me, is a little thing." Takamichi said with a huff, turning his head to stare anywhere but at his friend. He hated the fact Tomomasa had put himself in danger for his sake. "I don't like seeing you hurt."

"I don't like being hurt." The teal haired Hachiyo replied. "Takamichi, look at me." When gold eyes gazed into his, he continued. "This is nothing. I would do it again and again if it meant you were not injured."

"Just once I wish I could come to your rescue and save you." The bespectacled man sighed.

Tomomasa raised a finger and lifted Takamichi's face to his. "What makes you think you haven't?" When a quizzical look entered the vice minister's expressive golden eyes, the general smiled. "You have saved me more times than I can count just by being you."

"I think the knock to your head has scrambled your senses, Tomomasa-dono." Takamichi shook his head sadly. "I've never saved your life or spared you from injury."

"There are many ways to save someone, Takamichi." He put a finger against his partner's lips to forestall the disagreement he saw coming. "Whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not, you have saved me. There have been many times in battle when just the thought of you, safely here, gave me the strength to continue, to make sure I came back to you. Know that, Takamichi."

Takamichi mulled briefly over what Tomomasa had just told him and knew he was telling the truth; he looked up and let his lips curve upward in a tiny smile. "Arigatou, Tomomasa-dono."

The duo continued with their impromptu meal, Takamichi adding more ice to the cloth and Tomomasa being fed his meal. At the end of it, Tomomasa sighed in satisfaction. "I was planning a different atmosphere for our meal, but we're together and that's the important part."

Takamichi was placing things back onto a tray and motioned to Tomomasa's ice pack. "Do you need more ice?"

"Iie, I'm fine," the general replied, removing the ice from his head and carefully ran his fingers over the lump on his head, wincing.

"What is your schedule for the afternoon?" Takamichi asked, sidling up to the teal eyed Hachiyo leader.

"I have reports to go through."

"I can have them brought here, if you'd like." Tomomasa lifted one elegant eyebrow which made Takamichi give a defeated sigh. "I want to keep an eye on you. You did hit you head; I just want to be cautious."

"You and your cautious nature." Tomomasa chided but then grew serious. "Arigatou, for caring, Takamichi." He reached up and laid his hand against the vice minister's neck, "Have someone run for those reports." He told him softly.

It was almost sunset, when Takamichi knelt next to Tomomasa, who was engrossed in his reading. "It is getting late."

The general looked up from the report to see that daylight was fading. "So it is; I had not realized," he started gathering his material.

"I can lock those up for you in my desk." The vice minister offered as the teal eyed general straightened his papers. They were leaving the palace grounds when Tomomasa stopped suddenly. "Tomomasa-dono?"

"Heki, just a bit light headed. It will pass."

"I knew I should have called for a physician." The green haired Hachiyo lamented. "My home is closer, you can stay with me for the night."

"I will be fine."

"Put my mind at ease and stay." Takamichi beseeched. "I can watch you and if something _should_ happen there will be someone to notice." He saw the look wash over the general's face. "I know you and your intense dislike of going to the healer."

"Hai, hai." Tomomasa grumbled. "And if I did go to my own home, you would just follow, wouldn't you?" He asked as his colleague took one of his arms over one slim but strong shoulder.

"And you know me." The vice minister smiled. "I can promise sake and a nice meal." When Tomomasa looked at him, " Hai, I know you. Food and sake are two things you never turn down."

"It was worth taking a fall," Tomomasa mused, delighted in the thought of spending an evening with Takamichi.

FIN


End file.
